Pentagon And The White House Are At Odds On How To Respond To China`s South China Sea Policy

Politico: Obama team, military at odds over South China Sea

Washington maintains the Navy has the right to sail or fly by the series of artificial islands that China is outfitting with military equipment.

Some U.S. naval commanders are at odds with the Obama administration over whether to sail Navy ships right into a disputed area in the South China Sea — a debate that pits some military leaders who want to exercise their freedom of navigation against administration officials and diplomats trying to manage a delicate phase in U.S.-China relations.

The Pentagon has repeatedly maintained it reserves the right to sail or fly by a series of artificial islands that China is outfitting with military equipment. The Navy won’t say what it has or hasn’t done, but military officials and congressional hawks want the U.S. to make a major demonstration by sending warships within 12 miles of the artificial islands and make clear to China that the U.S. rejects its territorial claims.

WNU Editor: The Chinese response to this U.S. debate has been to conduct naval exercises in the disputed region (see above video). My prediction .... the White House does not want to inflame U.S. - Chinese tensions right now .... I do not expect any US naval vessels to sail next to any of these disputed artificial Chinese islands in the near future.